At the request of Algeria and three other countries, the UN Security Council is set to discuss the food security situation in Gaza during an open session scheduled for 8 p.m. GMT today, Tuesday.
This session, initiated by Algeria, Guyana, Switzerland, and Slovenia, aims to address the critical humanitarian issues facing the residents of Gaza amid escalating tensions in the region.
The United Nations earlier today highlighted the systematic barriers imposed by Israeli forces, hindering access to essential aid for the people of Gaza.
This obstruction complicates the delivery of humanitarian aid in a war zone devoid of any legal oversight, exacerbating the already dire situation.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), expressed the near impossibility of conducting medical evacuations and delivering aid, especially in the northern parts of Gaza, with the situation growing increasingly difficult in the southern areas.
In recent weeks, Israeli authorities have blocked all aid convoys intended for the north of Gaza, with the last permitted aid entering on January 23, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Even those convoys that had been previously cleared and inspected by Israeli authorities faced repeated blockages and were subjected to gunfire.
Laerke recounted an incident last Sunday, where a convoy organized by the WHO and the Palestinian Red Crescent, intended to evacuate patients from the besieged Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, was halted for hours, and several medics were detained.
Despite prior coordination with Israeli forces, the convoy was stopped as it departed the hospital, preventing its movement for several hours.
The Israeli military forced patients and staff out of the ambulances, and all medics were stripped of their clothing. The convoy, carrying 24 patients, was detained for seven hours. Three medics from the Palestinian Red Crescent were later arrested, despite their personal information being previously shared with Israeli forces; only one has been released so far.
Laerke emphasized that this was not an isolated incident, as aid convoys have been systematically prevented from reaching those in need and subjected to gunfire.
The lack of adequate facilities to deliver aid across Gaza poses an unacceptable and avoidable risk to humanitarian workers, exposing them to the dangers of arrest, injury, or worse.
The ongoing conflict erupted following a Hamas attack that resulted in approximately 1,160 deaths in Israel, predominantly civilians, based on a tally by Agence France-Presse using official figures.
Hamas militants have taken around 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, with 130 still in Gaza, including 31 believed to be deceased, according to Israel.
The Israeli military campaign has led to nearly 30,000 deaths in Gaza, mostly women and children, as reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled enclave.
This session by the UN Security Council underscores the international community’s concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the urgent need for a resolution to ensure the safe and unhindered delivery of aid to those in dire need.
